Freedom's Slave: Part 2
by Daroneasa
Summary: Terra's sad life continues as an Andalite slave....


Part 2: For the next few years, I worked on a small, uninhabited moon, creating a base. I would 

perform various tasks, many extremely dangerous, with others who were either small 

like me, or very young.

We often had to climb very high. I saw more than one Kahani fall to it's death.

One time, I caught a very young boy as he fell from a dozen feet above me. We were above 

the ground about two hundred feet, and I almost fell. The little one clung to my neck, 

sobbing.

< You clumsy fool! >

The overseer.

He smacked me in the head with his tail, for dropping some tools I had been holding. I felt 

myself falling, but managed to grab onto a pipe. I lost my grip on the little boy.

The child fell, grabbing my tail, screaming louder.

An old Kahani male grabbed my arms, but he was weak. The extra weight of the child was 

too much. I watched him slip, then fall, screaming. I watched him hit the ground below 

with a loud crunch, and he was silent. I choked back tears as the old man pulled me back 

onto the platform.

The overseer didn't care.

< Heh, good ridence. Clumsy fool. >

I looked at him, a level above me, laughing at the unfortunate child.

I hated him right then. 

From that day on, he would be my enemy.

When I was sixteen, after the base was completed, the Kahani were divided among the 

Andalites. As with my luck, I went to that overseer, along with another hundred Kahani.

The overseer owned a very large breeding farm. The only reason I did not become a breeder 

was because it was stated on my file that I could not produce children.

So, I had to sleep in a large building meant for the males, passing hours on end in my 

individual capsule.

I sat and wrote at night. Usually, the men were gone at night. They were always kind to me. 

They would sometimes play games like tag, just for the pure joy of it.

It was one of the few minutes of joy we ever glimpsed.

I had been at the farm for about three months, my only job to clean empty pens out, when I 

met him.

He was a servant, following the Slave master, doing whatever he was told. If he didn't do it 

right, he was smacked with the blunt side of the Master's tail.

The day I saw him, I was sitting outside, looking at the beautiful setting sun, enjoying the 

feeling of it on my fur. I noticed him walking towards the quarters, the Master leading him.

He wasn't watching his step as he tripped on a small hole and fell. He was staring at me.

< Dapsen! > screached the Master, smacking the poor boy as he stumbled into him. Dapsen 

ment idiot.

The Kahani shrank from him, whimpering.

< You fool. Go to those barracks. You are banished from the scoop. You live there now! >

He skipped away before the master could hit him again.

He was more intellegent than some. He knew to go fast, and not to kiss up. All that got a 

slave was a bruise.

He ran past, smiling at me as he went. I looked inside, watching him pile into a capsule. The 

capsules were our individual little homes, about twice as long as a Kahani, half as 

high.They were stacked a dozen high, twenty across on each side of the building. 

His bed was on the very top, right above mine.

Later, that night, he hung over the edge upside down, staring across the room. Sometimes I 

did that. It made you worry about falling, breaking the boredom for a while. I hid my 

ink and my paper as he turned to look in at me.

He purred in greeting and smiled, making a funny "Burrriiiiippppp!" noise.

I laughed, but of course, I had no sound.

He looked confused for a moment, but figured it out and smiled.

Suddenly, he lost his balance and fell, crashing with a loud 'THUD!' and thus getting 

several chuckles from the other males who had been watching, just waiting for him to 

fall. I looked over the edge.

"Puuuurrrrriiiipppppp!" He laughed, looking up at me and rubbing his head.

He was cute. Innocent like a child. 

He climbed back up, but into my capsule.

"Dapsen!" he said in barely understandable speech, pointing to himself. He thought that was

his name. It was pathetic.

But I was amazed. I'd never seen a 

Kahani who could talk like that. 'Dapsen' was not an idiot.

But he was extremely ignorant.

He understood that I was nearly mute, though, and watched my mouth form the word "Terra"

"Teeeeeerrraaaaa" he said, testing the word.

"Tuh-AIR-Uhhh..." he smiled and pointed at me.

"Terra"

He pointed at himself.

"Dapsen"

I smiled, tried to purr, but it was only a small vibration

. I managed a sound like a purr with my tounge.

He smiled again and began climing into his capsul.

"Terra" he said to himself, like my name was a percious gem.

I knew then that I loved him. I always would. I'd love him for the rest of my life.

Over the next several months, I sharpened my understanding of Andalite language and 

science. Sometimes, Dapsen would sneak a book to me. No matter how hard he tried, 

though, he didn't seem to get writing. I gave up finally, and concentrated on educating 

myself.

I learned some things about other planets, mathematics, animals, history.

Kahani History intrigued me. We had once been predators who hunted the Andalites, our 

fangs once hollow and venemous. But, when that trait dissapeared, the Andalites began 

to capture Kahani, making them work.

Slowly, we slaves became a way of life for the Andalites, for thousands of years.

Kahani, the book said, were barely sentient, had no grasp of art, language, or time. They 

could only understand orders.

Yeah, right.

And Hoobers live in Prince Seerow's nostrils.

I also found a book on our phsiology. They showed...images of disected Kahani. It 

was brutal, but at least I learned a few things about us. Maybe this would be help to me 

some day. 

I sat, late one night, reading a book of mathematics, practicing a low form called calculus.

"Terrrrraaa?" 

I looked up at Dapsen and closed the book, hiding it in my capsule. He smiled and purred, 

grabbing my hand gently. I slipped out of my capsule and followed him outside. The 

moons shone brightly, and the Kafit birds were singing. A cold front was blowing in, 

causing a cool wind that swept our wild hair, that was the same color as our fur back. It 

was even starting to rain a bit, sprinkling water on us that felt very good. He walked 

next to me very closely, purring. I purred my own strange purr. We were truly happy, 

walking outside along the edges of the farm, looking at the styled gardens where only 

the Andalites could go. I could see, not far away, two andalites inside. We hid and 

watched.

The Master's daughter, Kina. Kina was with a young man. I couldn't hear their thought 

speak, but I could see them holding hands, looking at each other.

Dapsen smiled at me, pointed at them, then pointed at himself and then me.

"Terra. Dapsen."

He purred.

I smiled and purred back. Yes, they were like us. In love.

I watched the andalites stop, the young man running his palm across Kina's face.

It's meaning was unmistakable. He had kissed her.

Dapsen smiled and coppied what the young andalite had done, rubbing his own palm against 

my face and purring.

He cradled me in the shrubs, gently stroking my wild hair. The fur on my shoulder. My 

neck. I leaned into his arms, so strong, and for the first time in my life, I felt safe. He 

kissed me gently, carressing me, making every ounce of my being love and long for him.

"Terra...Dapsen.." he murmured gently, holding me against his warm body. His fur, soft as a 

baby's and smelling of Kisha flowers. I lost myself in his arms, forgetting all that had 

passed, all that might come, how hopeless my life was.

I lay with him, and, for a short time, I was free of the Master, the andalites. I was not myself. 

He was not the innocent child. We were some strange mixture of the innocent, the 

ignorant, the wise,and the child. We were one.

Terra and Dapsen.

I woke in Dapsen's arms. He snored quietly, still purring, dew collecting on his short red

fur. It was cold, so I snuggled against him, accidently waking him. It was nearly 

dawn.

"Terra..." he smiled, stroking my face with his palm. I returned his gesture, not wanting to 

ever leave that thicket outside the forbidden garden. But, we had to get back before we 

got in trouble. He and I rose, shaking the dew from our bodies. His hair fluffed out like a 

mad sishana bird's feathers, and he looked extremely silly. He laughed and began 

walking back with me. I let him hold me against him. We had our whole lives to spend 

like this. I would be with Dapsen forever. No one, not the Master, not any andalite, 

could ever do me damage that Dapsen could not mend.

As we neared the barraks, I saw all the men outside in a crowd. A chill ran down my spine, 

and I looked up at Dapsen. His face suddenly dropped from bliss to horror. We both 

knew, suddenly, that we were wrong.

Something had happened...something terrible.

I stared at the crowd. Several andalites, many, many Kahani, all staring at us. 

< There they are! >

Two andalites grabbed us. The Master approached, holding the book Dapsen had stolen and 

several of my papers and my ink. He waved the book in my face.

< Let the male go. This one is the one I will take care of. You like to write, you dumb 

creature? Well, perhaps they have writing sticks in the Dark Below!>

I swallowed, 

looking over to Dapsen, who was crying. One minute ago...together...now, I would die.

He touched the Master's arm, gaining his attention. The Master hit him with the blunt of his 

tail, sending Dapsen reeling. Dapsen rose, holding his head. His hair was still funny 

looking, sticking up and fluffed out.

"Dapsen." he pointed to the book, to himself.

< You mean you took it? Then, why were they in her bunk? >

Dapsen made several motions with his hands, indicating that he had hidden them there.

"Terra..." he shook his head, indicating that I had no knowledge.

The andalite was a very stupid man. I wish he hadn't been. I wish I'd died that day.

< Well, isn't that noble. Release her, and grab him. > the andalite smirked.

They shoved me down into the dust and grabbed Dapsen.

< All witness the punishment of this Dapsen! > he hissed, poising his tail to strike my love's 

throat.

I growled, ran at the Master, hitting him, knocking him aside, bruising a stalk eye.

< AAAHHHHHH!!!! >

I reached for Dapsen as a guard grabbed me. Dapsen struggled forward, pulling one hand 

free. My guard, I realized, was Kina. Kina understood, suddenly. She let one of my 

hands loose, and helped her father with her free hand.

"Terra. Dapsen" he murmured, rubbing his palm on my face, purring. He smiled sadly. 

"Dapsen...Terra..." I choked, purring back. I felt something hit me in the head. The blunt 

side of the Master's tail.

< Get her back, but make her watch! > he hissed, rubbing his stalk eye.

Again, the Master's deadly tail aimed for my love's throat. Dapsen stared at me, his purr 

becoming louder as he whispered to me. The Master's tail flew forward in slow motion.

"Terra. Dapsen..." he breathed, microseconds before he fell, tears streaming from his eyes.

I don't know what happened next. I remember watching Dapsen's blood stain the ground. 

Kani grabbing me and picking me up...her father, barking at the others, and then, to 

Kani.

< Take her to the barraks. When you get there, beat her until she can't move! >

< Yes, Father. >

Kani sounded indifferent, cold. Like she didn't care.

The men shuffled back towards their capsules, Kani dragged me inside, threw me on the 

hard gravel floor inside. I wanted to die. I rolled onto my back and looked at her, 

waiting for the blow. I begged with my eyes for death.

< No, I won't kill you...Terra. >

I stared at her for a moment, then began crying. Why? Why not? Why not just let me die and 

be with my Dapsen in the world beyond? Why subject me to the torture of living?

Her father. He would be angry if she released me from my punishment like that.

I waited for the blunt side of her tail to hit me. But it didn't. She called a male, one of the 

drones, over to carry me to my capsule. She looked in at me, her eyes crying.

< You poor, poor dear...I'm so sorry... > she said quietly. She pittied me like she would pitty 

any animal who had lost it's mate.

< I hope you understand what I say...you must clean out it's...his..Dapsen's...capsule, suit it 

for a new person. Tommorow, a new drone will arrive. But tonight, you may sleep 

there... >

I looked at her, marveling at her kindness. How could a child of the Master be so kind? 

But...the Master was cruel to all, including his children and his wife.

She felt sorry for me because she saw her own pain in my eyes.

< Poor poor baby... > she muttered, walking away.

I burried my face in my hands as she left. They smelled like Dapsen, like Kisha flowers...

Intense, undescribable pain and grief gripped my heart. My love was dead, lying on the 

ground, his body drained of blood, struck down by the Master. Suddenly, I heard several 

low voices, all howling in harmony. The Drones. Mourning with me, mourning for me 

and my Dapsen. It was the song of death.

I clenched my teeth, barring my fangs at nothing. I would avenge Dapsen's death. 

The Master would die.


End file.
